1.SIGHTING OF THE YELLOW-THROATED BULBUL (PYCNONOTUS XANTHOLAEMUS) IN VARSHANADU RANGE OF THENI DISTRICT IN TAMIL NADU_ WESTERN GHATS By G. BABU RAO1_ B. VINOTH1_ J. PATRICK DAVID1_ N. MUTHU KARTHIK1_ D

Abstract

The Yellow-throated Bulbul (Pycnonotus xantholaemus) is a one of the rare species of bulbuls present in the south India. It is endemic to peninsular India (Gaston, 1984; Ali and Ripley, 1987; Bird life international, 2010) and is distributed in Eastern and Western Ghats of southern Andhra Pradesh, northern Tamil Nadu, eastern Kerala and eastern Karnataka (Subramanya et al., 2006; Narayan et al., 2006). It prefers scrub habitats on steep, rocky hills with dense undergrowth. It is also found in dry and mixed deciduous forest (Kalaimani, 2010). The altitude migration of the bird depends on the seasonal availability of food plant species. Apart from its habitat preference very little information is available on the species biology, especially about its food habits, ranging and nesting. Recently a few nests were identified and small studies done on its biology (Venkateshwarappa and Chitra, 1999). Recent surveys recorded the species from 75 locations of southern India. Though most of the records are from the Eastern Ghats, its presence has also been reported from the Western Ghats. Western Ghats locations include Anamalai hills (Kannan 1992), Mudumalai (Gokula and Vijayan, 1997), near Munnar in Kerala (Gee, 1995), Bandipur national park and Chinnar wildlife Sanctuary (Jhejaswi, 2004; Praveen and Namassivayan, 2006) indicating species presence in Western Ghats. The species is included in the vulnerable category of the IUCN Red Data Book (Birdlife International, 2006).